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The Continent (UNS)
The Nations are a collective of countries on and around the Continent, the central setting of the Unnamed Story.These countries include the Empire of Corva, the provinces of Caspaine, Fortana, and Alderon, and the Kingdom of Kyravelle. Along with these countries, the provinces of Riverenbeck and the Malvary Isles are also prominent locations. Yet more of the world remains unexplored in the story. The Kingdom of Kyravelle Established in 506 PC, Kyravelle was born from the unification of nine of the twelve central provinces, the latter of which were brought under the banner in a later effort. Often called the Road to All Nations, the Kingdom is in the central-most position on the Continent, boasting better roads and more fertile farmland than Fortana, Alderon and Riverenbeck combined, with an active coastal economy equal to that of Corva. Trade and commerce are large parts of the Kyravellan economy, with taxes and merchant road tariffs funding the kingdom's defense. Despite this, Kyravellan roads are some of the most dangerous, particularly in the spring. Though predominately occupied by its own people, Kyravelle is fairly multicultural, with the largest migrant population in the Continent. Citizens of its protectorates--Alderon and the Malvaries--have clearance to cross provincial borders when traveling, and the right to settle within certain places in the kingdom. Kyravelle is home to the Temple of Divine Revelation, the land's most prominent religious presence, stationed in the bustling port city of Aurora. Supplementing the royal military and the city guard is the Order of Adavarion, the Temple's own peacekeeping force, charged with the monitoring of greater conflicts and the enforcement of magical law. Of all the countries, Kyravelle has multiple legal regulations imposed on its mage population, being the only country to require registration and classification of all powered magiborn. Read More: Kyravelle The Empire of Corva Modern-day Corva came to be when the Kingdom of Cerrese conquered the Empire of Elysia in the first year PC. Corva is both the oldest and the most powerful nation on the Continent. A country shrouded in mystery, most of the population is either actively Gifted or born of Gifted stock (or "magiborn"). Attitudes toward magic are very different here than in neighboring countries. While seen as a blight in most parts of the world, magic is considered a sign of high birth in Corva, with marriages and business pairings arranged in the interest of fostering greater power in the family lines. Those born without powers are not precisely secondary, but they hold very little political power. Many of the Ungifted in Corva serve as merchants and soldiers in the Imperial Navy. In Corva, the Sentinelle is judge, jury and executioner when it comes to the violation of the law, with those of magical stock actually having the most to fear from them. A military force comprised entirely of sorcerers, the Sentinelle answer only to the high authority of the Masked Court, and the Empress above them. The few times they have been seen by those outside of Corva have ended invariably bad for the opposition. They are potentially the strongest military in the world. The Malvary Isles Known upon their founding as the Jeweled Isles, due to their vast mining resources, the Malvaries are one of the oldest colonized locations in the known world. Infighting between their original inhabitants and the native population resulted in the near destruction of both groups, resulting in social and political instability that persists to this day. The Isles are best known for their crafting and production, with most of the world's merchants hailing from them. A complex relationship with Corva left the Isles with very little support on the mainland, until Kyravelle was formed in the early 500s. Despite this lack of greater allies, Malvarian goods and trade knowledge are highly sought-after, to the point of most merchant guilds encoding their manifests to protect them from theft. The Malvaries are the only developed nation without a military, their defense from the mainland countries largely provided by pirates and privateers. What little the cities have by way of law enforcement are largely mercenary forces, with some villages boasting volunteer militias composed of farmers and led by reformed criminals. Though ruled officially by the Prince of Oredes and the Conclave of Lords, the Malvaries are home to a massive criminal underworld, which boasts a controlling presence in almost every arena in the Isles. Malvarians make up more than half of Kyravelle's immigrant population as a result, with many emigrating to escape the perils of life in the Isles. Caspaine Comprised of the swamps and grasslands of former Elysia, Caspaine is notorious for its tempestuous weather, its lack of leadership, and the prevalence of witches among its people. The province is undeveloped and impoverished, its ramshackle villages settled along the Kyravellan border. Situated at its core, the Sea of Caspaine provides what little mercantile substance the province has to offer. Officially, Caspaine is a duchy, the Isle of Syrganos its capital, and home to the only city in the province. Syrganos does very little to govern Caspaine, leaving the impoverished locals to fend for themselves. Those settled on the Isle are seldom seen, and when they are, disappearances follow. That the Syrganans are all sorcerers does little to help Caspaine's harsh opinions on magic. The grasslands to the north are settled by tribes of nomadic shamans, many of whom trace their blood to the province's original people. Order is kept tenuously by village leaders, with most settlements a witch-sighting away from mob violence. Kyravelle has intervened in recent years, dispatching Order knights to keep the peace, with the Temple offering outreach and education to the downtrodden population. Riverenbeck Alderon Fortana Category:The Unnamed Story Category:Locations (UNS)